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Amiga 500 ROMs

Amiga 500

In 1987, Commodore released the Amiga 500. At the time, this advanced home computer cost $700 dollars and could do a lot more than gaming. It was the most popular of the Amiga line, and for good reason. Tons of great games flourished on the Amiga 500 thanks to the phenomenal graphics and sound that it offered compared to competing systems.

Games for this computer were bought on floppy disks. The computer itself was housed in the keyboard and came with a floppy disk drive and a two-button mouse. A monitor had to be purchased separately. It was expensive and bulky, but for its time, it was extraordinary. Now, this entire system fits easily inside your phone, tablet, or computer. You can play any of the Amiga 500’s retro games for free, and they certainly still hold their own.

Amazing games for this system include the Prince of Persia, Civilization, Sensible Soccer, Pinball Dreams, Worms, and the Secret of Monkey Island.
The Prince of Persia, while originally released for the Apple II, was ported to the Amiga 500 in 1990 and spawned a franchise that continues on today. Players had to make their way through the game avoiding obstacles and defeating enemies, creating gameplay that far surpassed consoles of its era. It was ported onto dozens of gaming systems due to its sheer popularity.

Likewise, Civilization spawned a franchise that is still immensely popular today, though built on completely different gameplay. In this complex and entertaining game, users create a civilization in 4000 BCE and work to build and develop their civilization as the years pass. Trying your hand as the immortal ruler of a massive civilization was insanely cool, and the Amiga saw it all get started.

For the sports fanatics, Sensible Soccer was at the beginning of a sports gaming trend that carries on today through FIFA and Madden. Users played via a bird’s eye view, which was a bit different than other sports games at the time, and it encompassed a massive number of professional soccer leagues. Anyone interested in soccer should play this classic, which spawned tons of sequels and was an incredibly advanced sports game for its time.
Ever play pinball on one of your old computers? They likely drew inspiration from the 1994 title Pinball Dream. Pinball machines were super popular, but large and expensive. Playing a realistic game of pinball on your computer was awesome, and in fact, it still is today as pinball machines are dying out. Give it a shot, and you won’t regret it.

Worms may not have been the beginning of an enormous mainstream video game legacy, but it has made the evolution into a smartphone game. The fantastic turn-based Worms games all got their start from this 1995 game. With the simple but hilarious concept of worms at war shooting at each other in turns, this game stole the hearts of tons of Amiga-owners. When a game creates a mechanic that is still playable and endlessly fun twenty years later, you know it’s a winner.

And finally, a discussion of the Amiga wouldn’t be complete without talking about the Secret of Monkey Island. It was an earlier game, released in 1990, and it was a point-and-click adventure that fueled the imaginations of many. This coveted genre has morphed so much that classics like this have a certain nostalgia to them that just can’t be recreated. Players are tossed into a young man’s dream where he solves puzzles as a world-travelling pirate. If it sounds hilarious, that’s because it is.

The Amiga 500 stays in the hearts of many not because it was so advanced for its time but because of the many games that made it so fun. Players today still emulate this now 27-year-old console because the games are so incredibly fun. Don’t miss out on the action, grab a Amiga 500 emulator and some ROMs as soon as you can.